Psalms 79

1 A Melody of Asaph. O God, nations, Have entered thine inheritance, Have profaned thy holy temple, —Have laid Jerusalem in heaps:

A Psalm by Asaph. God, the nations have come into your inheritance. They have defiled your holy temple. They have laid Jerusalem in heaps.

2 They have given, The dead bodies of thy servants, As food for the birds of the heavens, The flesh of thy men of lovingkindness, Unto the wild beast of the earth:

They have given the dead bodies of your servants to be food for the birds of the sky, the flesh of your holy ones to the animals of the earth.

3 They have poured out their blood like water, Round about Jerusalem, With none to bury.

They have shed their blood like water around Jerusalem. There was no one to bury them.

4 We have become, A reproach to our neighbours, —A mockery and a derision, to them who are round about us.

We have become a reproach to our neighbours, a scoffing and derision to those who are around us.

5 How long, O Yahweh, wilt thou be angry utterly? Shall thy jealousy, burn like fire?

How long, LORD? Will you be angry forever? Will your jealousy burn like fire?

6 Pour out thy wrath, Upon the nations that have not known thee—and, Upon the kingdoms that, on thy Name, have not called.

Pour out your wrath on the nations that don’t know you, on the kingdoms that don’t call on your name,

7 For he hath devoured Jacob, —And, his dwelling-place, have they laid waste.

for they have devoured Jacob, and destroyed his homeland.

8 Do not remember against us former iniquities, —Haste thee, let thy compassions, come to meet us, For we have been brought very low!

Don’t hold the iniquities of our forefathers against us. Let your tender mercies speedily meet us, for we are in desperate need.

9 Help us, O God of our salvation, on account of the glory of thy Name, —Rescue us then, and put a propitiatory-covering over our sins, For the sake of thy Name.

Help us, God of our salvation, for the glory of your name. Deliver us, and forgive our sins, for your name’s sake.

10 Wherefore should the nations say—Where is their God? Let him be known among the nations before our eyes! [Yea! By] the avenging of the blood of thy servants which hath been shed!

Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?” Let it be known amongst the nations, before our eyes, that vengeance for your servants’ blood is being poured out.

11 Let the groaning of the prisoner, come in before thee, —According to the greatness of thine arm, Set free them who are appointed to death.

Let the sighing of the prisoner come before you. According to the greatness of your power, preserve those who are sentenced to death.

12 Return, therefore, unto our neighbours—Sevenfold, into their own bosom, The reproach wherewith they have reproached thee, O Adonay!

Pay back to our neighbours seven times into their bosom their reproach with which they have reproached you, Lord.

13 So, we, thy people, and the sheep of thy pasture, will give thanks unto thee, to times age-abiding, —To generation after generation, will we recount thy praise.

So we, your people and sheep of your pasture, will give you thanks forever. We will praise you forever, to all generations.